Six Arkansas individuals have been selected to participate in the 2021 Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy.
Hosted by the Delta Regional Authority, the DLI Executive Academy is a nine-month leadership program that will bring 20 fellows from across the DRA’s eight state territory. During the program, the fellows will receive “tools experiences and networks needed to address local and regional challenges,” according to the DRA.
Fellows will participate in workshop sessions headed by local, regional and national experts in a range of topics. These sessions can address infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public healthand other fields.
The six Arkansas leaders representing Arkansas during the program include Becca Caldwell, grants manager for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Rural Services Division; Kimberly Davis, director of constituent services for the Arkansas Governor’s Office; Tamika Jenkins, vice president of economic development for the Mississippi County Economic Development Commission; Rachel Langley-Hayes, field representative and constituent services representative for U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman; Dr. Kyle Miller, museum director for the Delta Cultural Center; and Clint O’Neal, executive vice president of global business for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
“To enact change, you need strong leaders with bold yet thoughtful ideas to move the needle in the right direction,” DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Caldwellsaid in a statement. “The six fellows selected for the 2021 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy are already leaders within their communities. With the knowledge and skill sets gained through DLI, they will evolve to become the change agents needed to address the most pressing issues facing the Delta.”
The DLI Executive Academy was launched in 2005 and partners with three institutions of higher education: Arkansas State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe and the University of Arkansas.
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